How to Pick the Best Indoor Cycle

Do you want to start an exercise routine, but hate the idea of going to the gym? Or maybe you’re already a cyclist, but want to stay in top condition even when the weather makes biking unrealistic? If you love class (or the idea of class), then an indoor stationary bike might be a good fit. They’ve come a long way from the rattling, wobbling indoor bikes of yesteryear: these modern machines are easy to use and quiet. The best stationary bikes offer excellent quality and value, and that’s what this review is about! We know there are a lot of options out there, so we tried to narrow it down by researching twenty stationary bikes to find the best indoor cycle models for home use. After lots of pedaling and panting, we have the results: a list of the best indoor cycling bike options around. If this is your first time shopping for a stationary bike, take a look at the following specs, which will be included in each indoor cycle review. Things like the flywheel weight and an LCD screen are important parts of whether an indoor bike will work for you and your budget.

Flywheel -The flywheel creates momentum as you ride out on your indoor cycling adventure. Heavier flywheels offer a more stable and realistic feel but can be harder to get started since you have to push harder to get going. We tracked down the flywheel weights of the different indoor cycles we found so you would have an idea of the difficulty and “real bike” feel of each option.

Adjustable Seat - This is pretty straight-forward: being able to move the seat around makes an indoor cycle ideal for a range of heights and body types. Most modern indoor cycles have seats that can be adjusted horizontally (fore and aft) as well as vertically (up and down). Some bikes also have handlebars that are adjustable to some degree for an even better fit.

LCD Screen - An LCD screen is a great feature for displaying your workout performance and information, although it tends to drive up the price of the machine. Some are backlit while others are not. Some are larger and can display all of this information at once (your speed, distance, and time, for instance), while others are smaller and can only show one item at a time.

User Weight Capacity - The indoor cycles on our list can handle user weights from 250 to 300 pounds. This guideline is important to follow for your safety as well as the integrity of the bike (and to keep the warranty valid). Higher weight capacities are a good feature for people who are a little heavier and combined with heavier bike weights, you can get a smooth and stable ride.

Dimensions - The size of an indoor bike affects how easy it is to put together and to store. Width and length are especially important if you want to store your bike in a closet or similar area when you aren’t using it. However, people who are built taller or broader may prefer bikes that are set up to be wider and taller, because they’ll be more comfortable than narrower bikes.

Product Weight - We found indoor cycles as light as 69 pounds, all the way up to 140 pounds. While weight alone doesn’t determine the stability of a stationary bike, you may want a heavier bike for vigorous workouts, or a lightweight model to make it easy to transport from one place to another. Compare the overall weight to the flywheel weight to get an idea of how heavy the frame is.

Top 10 Products

We’re finally here. Somewhere in this list is the best stationary bike for your needs, whether it’s heavy-duty and laden with features or focused on simplicity to just get the job done. Most likely, your ideal choice will either be the premium top pick or the affordable budget pick. Some of the bikes come with heart rate monitoring sensor pads that work in conjunction with the LCD screen and your exercise program to keep your heart rate within a certain zone. Other bikes just have a solid flywheel and basic controls to get you started. Whatever you’re looking for, these stationary bikes cover a range of budgets and fitness needs. Happy cycling!

The Keiser M3i Indoor Cycle made it as our top pick for the best indoor bike because it can connect via Bluetooth to your phone and send your workout data to various apps to help you better keep track of your fitness progress. That’s not all: the backlit LCD screen shows watts, RPM, time, distance, resistance gear, and your heart rate (through the heart rate pads on the handlebars). The flywheel is light, but through magnetic resistance, you can get as good of a workout as you can with heavier flywheels. This magnetic mechanism combined with the belt drive means this indoor bike is also very quiet to ride. It also makes the bike great for all levels of training and still easy to transport. In addition, the Keiser M3i offers both toe clips and Shimano basket pedaling (one on either side of each pedal). The handlebars and seat can be adjusted up and down as well as fore and aft. Transport wheels and a tolerable weight (not particularly heavy or light) make it easy to store away between uses. It’s an excellent choice, offering lots of long-term value.

If you need a good but cheap indoor cycle, the Sunny Health and Fitness SF-B901 is a simple and well-built option. The 40-pound flywheel is an optimal weight for a smooth, realistic ride, although beginner cyclists may prefer a lighter flywheel to start with (see our top pick). The bike uses a chain drive, which is a little bit louder than a belt drive, and you adjust the resistance with a tension knob. The handlebars can be moved up and down, while the seat is adjustable up and down as well as fore and aft. The basket pedals keep your feet securely in place as you work out, and transport wheels make it easy to store between uses. The 275-pound weight capacity is high and makes this bike a convenient option for a range of users. The bike fits inseams up to 41 inches and as low as 28.5 inches. This means you won’t have to sacrifice comfort and good form due to your height, whether you’re on the tall or short end of the spectrum. All in all, this is a great and very affordable choice.

The Diamondback Fitness 510Ic indoor cycle combines a quiet belt drive and 16 levels of computer-controlled resistance with a 32-pound flywheel. The backlit LCD display is powered by your pedaling so you won’t have to worry about changing batteries. The display shows time, speed, distance, calories burned, cadence, and heart rate (via the heart rate sensor pads on the handlebars). You can choose from 14 workout programs, which includes four programs that focus on keeping your heart rate within certain target ranges. The computer-controlled resistance offers consistent and predictable increments The handlebars are adjustable up and down, while the seat is adjustable up and down and fore and aft. A water bottle holder, basket pedals, and transport wheels are also included. This is one of the heaviest indoor cycles on our list, so it’s difficult to move--a con for storing it in a closet or a corner, but a pro if you value stability.

The Ironman Fitness H-Class 510 is a heavy-duty indoor bike with a battery-powered LCD screen that shows distance, RPM, calories burned, speed, watts, and heart rate (via sensor pads on the handlebars). The LCD screen lacks convenient backlighting. It uses a chain drive to power the 44-pound flywheel. Both the handlebars and the seat can be adjusted up and down and fore and aft. It comes with a water bottle holder built in, and adjustable floor stabilizers as well. Adjustable floor stabilizers are great for setting up your indoor cycle on an uneven surface to prevent wobbling and off-center biking form. This Ironman stationary bike also comes with a waterproof PVC equipment mat. The mat measures 79 by 35.4 inches and is a quarter of an inch thick. It protects the underlying floor surface from scratches and scuffs, as well as from accidental water bottle spills and dripping sweat from your workout.

The Sole Fitness SB700 is the heaviest indoor cycle on our list of winners at 140 pounds. The flywheel is also on the heavier end of the spectrum and is powered by a quiet belt drive. The seat and handlebars can be adjusted up and down and fore and aft. The large backlit LCD shows your RPM, time, calories burned, distance, and speed. You can also integrate the display with wireless heart rate chest straps, which helps you to target certain heart rate ranges during your workout. It also comes with not one, but two water bottle holders, as well as transport wheels so you can hide it away between workouts. If you’re worried about finding a stationary bike that’s stable, the SB700 is heavy enough to handle anything you throw at it. However, it does have a somewhat high price, in part due to its weight. It may be worth considering other indoor cycle options if you are on a budget, as similar bikes can be found for a lower price.

Another indoor cycle from Sunny Health & Fitness, this one is on the heavier end and has a heavy-duty 49-pound flywheel. It is powered by a belt drive, so your workout will be nice and quiet, and comes with a water bottle holder and transport wheels. You can adjust the resistance with a tension knob, and the basket pedals keep your feet in place as you ride. The seat is adjustable up and down as well as fore and aft, and the handlebars can be adjusted up and down. The seat can be adjusted to fit inseams from 29 inches up to 40 inches, so it is suitable for a range of heights and body types. If you liked our budget pick but wanted a heavier flywheel, this cycle offers a heavier overall weight as well as a flywheel that is 49 pounds rather than the 40 pounds of our budget pick’s flywheel. This provides plenty of stability and a smooth ride that feels just like riding your outdoor bike on the road.

The Marcy XJ-3220 Club stationary cycle uses a tension knob to adjust the resistance against the 40-pound flywheel. This simple road bike-style indoor cycle is similar to the Sunny Health & Fitness models on our list. It is a slightly lighter indoor cycle, making it easy to move around on the transport wheels between uses. It also comes with basket cage pedals and a water bottle holder. The handlebars can be adjusted up and down, while the seat can be adjusted up and down as well as fore and aft. It operates on a chain drive, which is not as quiet as a belt drive. Like several of the cycles on our list, the Marcy XJ-3220 Club has a quick stop brake, so you can get out of the saddle easily. Despite its light weight, you can still use it in a standing position to simulate hills or sprints. People as short as five feet and as tall as six feet can comfortably use this bike to exercise.

The Bladez Fitness Echelon GS combines a quiet belt drive and 40-pound flywheel for a great workout. The simple LCD screen shows your speed, time, distance, and calories. It uses top-down resistance control and includes an emergency brake to end a workout quickly if needed. The seat can be adjusted up and down and fore and aft. The handlebars can be adjusted up and down. This indoor cycle also comes with transport wheels and basket-style pedals. The monitor is also detachable if you want to ignore it or replace it with a grip holder for your tablet or smartphone. If you’re looking for a basic indoor cycle with an LCD screen that’s still on the low end of the price range, the Bladez Fitness Echelon GS is a great choice. It is well-built and provides details about your workout through the display, but is less expensive than several of the other LCD monitor indoor bikes on our list.

The Sunny Health & Fitness SF-B1423 provides a heavy flywheel but a lightweight indoor bike overall. It comes with a small, ultra-basic LCD display that shows your time, speed, and distance. If you set it to “scan” mode, it will constantly cycle through these progress indicators, or set it to one option with the simple two-button controls. It is belt driven, so it is very quiet and comes with transport wheels and a water bottle holder. Basket pedals provide security as you work out. The handlebars adjust up and down, while the seat can be moved up and down as well as fore and aft. Like the Bladez Fitness Echelon GS, the SF-B1423 provides a simple setup at a low price, while still including an LCD screen. The handlebar design also makes it easy to rest a book, smartphone, or tablet above the LCD monitor. All in all, this basic indoor cycle can provide a great indoor gym experience.

This indoor cycling bike from Tauki is the lightest bike on our list at just 69 pounds. Combined with the transport wheels, it is incredibly portable, making it ideal for people who want to store their indoor cycle between uses or be able to move it around easily depending on other factors. The simple LCD screen is similar to the one on the Sunny Health & Fitness SF-B1423. It tracks your speed, time, distance, and calories burned. It also tracks your pulse through monitor pads on the handlebars and made it to our list in part because it is one of the cheapest indoor cycles we found with a heart rate monitor feature. The belt drive ensures you can exercise quietly, and the seat can be adjusted up and down as well as fore and aft, while the handlebars can be adjusted up and down. A water bottle holder also comes with the bike, and basket pedals prevent your feet from slipping.

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